Kentucky is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, and one of the states of the Upper South. Officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, it became the 15th U.S. state to join the Union on June 1, 1792.
Based on the 2020 census, Kentucky has a population of 4,505,836. It covers a total area of 40,408 square miles (104,656 square kilometers).
The main counties are Jefferson County, Fayette County, Kenton County, Boone County and Warren County. Its capital is Frankfort and its two largest cities are Louisville and Lexington.
Vital records are held at the Office of Vital Statistics in the Department for Public Health in Frankfort. They include birth and death records from July 1911, and marriage and divorce certificates from 1958.